Dezeen is curating a design exhibition at The Jones hotel in London this September and October, exploring contemporary designers' fascination with animals. Update 09/09/08: we are disappointed to announce that this exhibition has been postponed due to a flood at The Jones. More info coming soon - for updates please check here.

This is Dezeen's second exhibition: last September we curated Trash Luxe at Liberty in London. Images from top: Cow Bench by Julia Lohmann; Pig Table by Front for Moooi; Bank in the Form of a Pig by Harry Allen for Areaware.

Above: Pigeon with Helmet by Jaime Hayon for Bosa. Below: Now Isn't That Lovely (Stag) by Stephen Johnson, courtesy of Gallery Fumi.

The exhibition will for the first time bring together in one location products, limited edition objects and artworks that are the result of designers' fascination with the beauty of living creatures and their new-found willingness to explore figurative rather than abstract forms and to tackle subjects that were until recently considered sentimental, kitsch or tasteless.

As well as contemporary works, Menagerie at The Jones will also present many pieces from the early and mid Twentieth Century. Above: Lying Stag by August Göhring for Nymphenburg, 1939. Below: Eames House Birds by Charles & Ray Eames for Vitra.

The work will be displayed in the historic interiors of The Jones, a new destination hotel in Bayswater, London, with the objects displayed to compliment the stunning 1900s interior. The show is intended to evoke the sense of being in a menagerie - private collections of living wild animals that were fashionable among the aristocracy before the advent of public zoos.

The images shown here were shot on location at The Jones by photographer James Gardiner. Above: Elephants at Dusk by Committee for Lladró Re-Cyclos Collection.

Menagerie at The Jones runs from Tuesday 16 September to Sunday 19 October at The Jones, 1-9 Inverness Terrace, London W2 3JP. Dezeen will also be curating a series of design talks at The Jones during the London Design Festival - more details coming soon.

Over the coming weeks we'll be posting updated information on Menagerie at The Jones here

Beautiful photos, and a nicely curated show. Although I do believe the Eames House Bird was not designed by Charles and Ray, but rather a found object (from Appalachia if I remember correctly) that they had on display in their home.

B.S.

‘curated by’…….me thinks you take yourself a tad too seriously

F

love the elephants .. gorgeous .

Fling

Always the same ‘design approved’ animals – stag, pig, ephelant etc. Would like to see some envelope pushing to include the odd marmot or tapeworm please.

http://www.lgblog.co.uk/ Helen-LG

Re: Fling

It would be interesting to see if the animals used would vary country by country – I would assume certain animals are always more popular because they are icon or highly recognisable within that society/culture. I could be completely wrong of course but I would assume thats why pets and farm animals are more comm
on

http://www.iamassociates.wordpress.com ‘i-am’

Beautiful logo for ‘Menagerie’!

Clifford

A bit of a populistic show, probably as odd and out of date in a couple of years as the everyday Arad, Newsom or Rashid appears today. But a nice little exhibition illuminating the last years fascination for wit and depicting design bordering to children’s book graphics.

Clifford

Btw, Lyle & Scott is missing their eagle!

F

i agree – the logo is perfect .

http://matandme.net/ matylda

conveys the impression of an fantasy tale . great! – but I do prefer a logo with a wooden visual apperance which matches the exhibition. black is to hard and gives a false impression of it. anyway I am curious about the exhibition. looking forward to be in london. lalala

zuy

namind, logo are perfect, selection is OK but you forget the Starck guns to kill them..

zuy

@ Helen …i’m sure there is a selection for each country or each culture and also with the idea of what design is in a country and in a culture!!!

A. Fornasier

Beautiful photos by James! but the show is very derivative and a copy of ‘Animal Magic’ by Vessel Gallery in London done a few years ago, same artists and not so dissimilar logo and title.

I will though take up the offer of 50% discount.

Bob

The headless, legless torso in the position of a relaxing cow is macabre.